


A Pain In The Neck

by Luthwyn



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, neko, neko!phil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2017-12-05
Packaged: 2019-02-11 01:12:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12924138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luthwyn/pseuds/Luthwyn
Summary: Dan goes to the shelter to find a cat and comes home with a passive aggressive, battles scarred neko called Phil. Whilst the neko may be soft at heart he doesn't half drive Dan round the bend.





	A Pain In The Neck

He was sat up there again, the there being the top of Dan's wardrobe and the he being his newly adopted neko, Phil. Honestly if he wasn't so skinny that thing would have collapsed already, it wasn't the most sturdy of structures.

"Phil, could you please just come down." He called up exasperatedly to the neko, simply getting a hiss in return. Dan knew it wouldn't be easy taking on Phil but he couldn't stand back and let the poor thing die. Phil was tall for a neko, almost as tall as Dan himself, and his ears, well ear and a half, were shiny back. He had a messy black fringe that hung over his eyes, although he must have found some way of dying it that way because he had a few brownish roots coming through. His eyes were bright blue and that often switched colour during the day as light changed and contrasted sharply against his pale skin. His tail was also black but had a sort of mottled ginger tip which Dan guessed would have also showed on the tip of his left ear had it been there and two sharp canines showed when he opened his mouth. Some people found these 'kitten teeth' cute but on a neko as large and scratched up as Phil they looked a little threatening.

As far as Dan knew Phil had been a stray for quite a long time and absolutely despised the idea of being someone's pet. He probably got in quite a few fights on the streets judging from the scars across his neck but they never really seemed to bother him, in fact he seemed rather proud of them. Rescued nekos were always shown to be shy but sweet on the many rescue adverts on tv, they could be violent at first but they could almost always be tamed and taught how to be a proper pet. Dan could already see that that may not be the case for Phil. From his short time in the shelter he could see that, like cats, nekos could be temperamental, passive aggressive and quite frankly rude but unlike cats they had it beaten out of them. Phil was a stray; he'd never had anyone do that to him, well at least he hadn't for a long time, and had grown up headstrong and independent. Unfortunately, this sort of attitude doesn't usually go down well with owners so the shelter found themselves with no other option than to put him down, well that was until Dan stepped in.

He'd only gone in looking for a hamster or a cat maybe, not a huge commitment but something to keep him company. Nekos were quite rare and expensive, not to mention really hard to care for but he saw Phil sat on a tiny chair in the corner of the room in a cage far too small for him and he just looked so sad, he couldn't just leave him there to die. He had a decent job he could afford to keep him and it would certainly stop him from being lonely. If he left Phil wouldn't be adopted, Dan knew that. He'd already been sentenced to death and nobody was going to come along and save him. People didn't like nekos who spoke their mind. They reminded people that what they were doing to these essentially people was wrong but Dan had always thought of nekos being a lot more human than people were willing to give them credit for. They were smart and aware; they could speak and even read and write if they were taught, not that many people bothered though. He found it sad that they were so often mistreated and used like slaves. Apart from the ears and tail and teeth they looked and acted a lot like humans, well lazy ones anyway. They slept a lot and were often more childlike and attention seeking than humans their age but that was usually because it was ingrained into them to act that way.

It only took a few hours for Phil to be his. The shelter were so desperate to get him adopted they were willing to skip a few of the more time consuming tasks such as house check which was a little irresponsible on their part and Dan was glad a more horrible person hadn't set his eyes on Phil or else it could have ended badly. Phil spent this entire process huddled in the back of his pen, violently hissing if anyone dared so much as come near him, he wasn't scared though. His ears remained firmly pointing forwards and he stood up straight when he had the space. His tattered ear a proud reminder of his time on the streets, a battle scar of sorts. He was smart as well. The staff had warned him several times to be careful when locking windows are door as he was quite the escape artist. Dan took note of the giant padlock that had been fastened securely to his cage. Once one of the members of staff managed to get close enough to clip a leash to his collar he stood up obediently, however the dirty glares he shot at everyone in the room told Dan what he though of them. He may have looked menacing, glaring at everyone who came close, but he did do as he was told. For a moment Dan thought the hissing and defiance was all a bit of a method of keeping people away but problems seemed to occur however the moment they got back to Dan's apartment.

Phil hadn't uttered a single word for the whole way home. He simply sat in the back seat staring out of the window. Dan lived on the outskirts of London. His apartment wasn't huge but it was big enough. He had a spare bedroom which Phil could live in if he wished and Dan already knew the neko wouldn't be staying with him in his room.

"You're going to have a nice life here ok." he said pulling up to his apartment. Phil looked up at the old building and scowled. Dan frowned but carried on anyway.

"You'll be safe and I know you don't like me but maybe one day we can be friends, yeah?" The neko looked back at him with an unreadable expression but it wasn't one of disgust so Dan took it as a victory. Perhaps things weren't going to be all that bad if he could just get Phil to trust him. Unfortunately, the first thing Phil did when they stepped inside was run. The minute Dan unclipped the leash holding him in place he was off and Dan was suddenly quite worried that he had left a window open. Luckily he found Phil perched on top of his wardrobe several hours later. It seemed Phil had grown rather fond of this spot and for the most part refused to come down.

It sometimes bothered Dan that he had saved this, in his eyes person's, life and yet that person seemed to be completely unaware of this, either that or he didn't care. Turns out people were right when they said nekos usually acted quite childish, despite his bravado earlier and intelligence Phil still often acted like a whiny child, well that or a sulking teenager. It was getting to the point where Dan felt like ripping his hair out and screaming after every sing interaction he had with his new pet. Dan even considered taking him back and one point but he couldn't just do that, he wished he'd never seen him in the first place and just went home with cat like he was supposed to.

"You could show some thanks to the person who saved your life you know." He called up irritably to the neko. Phil simply stuck his head over the side of the cupboard and let out an angry hiss.

"You didn't have to, you know. You could have just let me stay there. I would have escaped in time. I don't see why you humans are always trying to pet and pamper us. Only kittypet wimps let humans do that. We don't need you to look after us, well I don't anyway."

"That may be true." Dan snapped angrily, "but the law says you have to be under the ownership of a human so as of now you are my pet."

Dan knew he wasn't handling this well. Phil wasn't a cat, he was as smart as a human and he knew it so Dan shouldn't be treating him like this but honestly he was at his wits end.

"You know what fine." He muttered quietly, ignoring the mean words that threatened to rush out of his mouth.

"Your dinner is in the kitchen if you want it." If Phil heard him he showed no sign of coming down. Dan sighed and left the room knowing he was getting nowhere.It wasn't for another month that they had their first proper conversation. Phil hadn't been eating much and Dan was worried. As annoying as this neko may be he was still in Dan's care and it would kill him for Phil to die on him. He really needed to take him to the vet but something told him that wasn't going to be easy. Dan hadn't seen Phil a lot. He spent the majority of his time sat crossed legged on top of the wardrobe like always, only coming down for water and the toilet. From what Dan saw he could see that the shiny black hair on his ears had grown dull and they clothes that had once only looked slightly too big now hung off his body. The problem was he couldn't get Phil out of the house and he was sure if he tried it would only end in violence so he tried the diplomatic approach instead.

"Phil come down." He announced gently. Phil had shuffled back against the wall and was resting his head against it. It was really too small a space for such a tall neko and the only was he could sleep was sat up against the wall with his eyes closed. It must have hurt his legs and back quite a bit. Phil slowly prized his eyes open and looked down groggily at Dan, clearly having no idea what the human just said.

"I said Phil come down, we're going out" His voice was gentle but assertive. Phil snickered and closed his eyes again.

"Where are we going?" He said cockily, "because I hate to break it to you because it will be 'a you' not 'a we'."

"Well I hate to burst your bubble Phil but I can't just show up at the vets with no pet." Phil's eyes shot open again and they were blown wide with a mixture of anger and fear. Dan expected a sharp comeback but what he did not expect was for Phil to respond looking quite frankly terrified.

"Why are we going to the vets?" he asked in a small voice.

"Because you've been naughty and won't eat." Dan said rolling his eyes but immediately regretted it when he saw the look on Phil's face. He had turned an almost sickly shade of green. Suddenly all the cockiness and defiance was gone.

"Well come on then." Dan sighed and surprisingly Phil started to come down. His hands were shaky and he struggled to lower himself down on his skinny arms. He looked defeated and Dan felt his heart wrench. These was something wrong with the neko but he couldn't quite place his finger on it. Dan bent down to clip the leash onto the collar that was still fastened around Phil's neck and lead him back towards the car. Phil trailed behind, tail lying limp against his legs.

"Hey cheer up." Dan said gently as Phil sat glumly in the back of the car. The neko spent the entire twenty-minute trip looking longingly out of the window, his posture completely different to what it had been only two weeks ago. Eventually they pulled up at the vets but Phil wouldn't get out of the car. He hissed and scratched and yowled and screamed and wouldn't budge an inch. Apparently some time during the car journey all ideas of cooperation had died and now the neko was hell bent on being as stubborn as possible.

"What is the matter with you!" Dan growled, getting back into the car and locking the doors, "You were fine when we left, why are you being like this now" Phil had his eyes turned towards the floor and his voice was horse from screaming.

"What's the point in being obedient if you're just going to get rid of me. I thought trying to be good would make you change your mind but we're still here." Phil hissed and Dan frowned.

"Phil what do you mean? We're here to help you remember." He said quietly.

"No you're not. You're here to get rid of me like everyone does." His replied weakly. Dan reached out to stroke the nekos ears but he flinched away and hissed violently.

"Look Phil, if I was getting rid of you we'd be at the shelter wouldn't we." Dan said gently. Phil's eyes were aimed towards the floor and he sniffed quietly,

"Can't you just let me go, if anyone asks you can just say I ran away. Then you won't have to pay for the injection thingy, that's what they'll use won't they?" Dan paled as he realised what Phil thought they were here to do.

"No, no Phil we're not here for that. I wouldn't do that." Dan sighed quietly, "Now just come in, its only to help." Phil hissed and lashed out at Dan when the human moved to stroke his ears again.

"Stop talking to me like a child, I know what you're going to do to me. They said the same thing, 'it's ok Phil, it's just to make you better again.' Well they lied and this time no one is going to come and help me because I'm just some poor stupid neko who can't look after himself and this time they'll do it because no one will ever want me." He snapped angrily, curling in on himself and Dan felt sick. He didn't know Phil's history but this was a stark reminder that he had one.

People usually didn't keep nekos for long. Some people only wanted them when they were young and cute, much like some people do with puppies, so they were often sold on. People didn't just give them up, they were expensive and a fully grown one could fetch a lot if someone was in the market for a servant so they were sold on like slaves almost. Female nekos were often exempt from this rule as they are often allowed to grow up in families as they were seen as appropriate carers and friends to children, males however almost never made it to adulthood without being sold on at least once. Dan found it odd then that a neko such as Phil, who was tall and strong and could have been sold for a fortune, had been sent to be put down.

"Phil," Dan said quietly, "Can you tell me what happened with your last owners?" Phil looked up Dan with a curious look in his eyes, although mistrust still radiated from him. He shifted his shoulders uncomfortably and looked around the car.

"Only if you take me home" He answered quietly but assertively and Dan knew he would have to agree to these rules if he wanted to find out. This was ridiculous of course, he already had an appointment and was still a little miffed he was going to have to still pay for it but he was going to get this neko to trust him anytime soon he needed to make sure he knew that Dan wasn't going to give him up. Dan sighed and turned the key in the engine.

The ride home was uncomfortable, Phil now curled up in the corner of the backseat, observing Dan warily. In all honesty Dan could never see Phil as being a trusting, playful type that nekos are supposed to be. If he had ever been that type of person it had been drilled out of him and Dan realised with depressing thought that if he ever became unable to care for him, or at least be his legal guardian, then it was most likely that Phil would be put down. He was too old to be a pet really, nekos were often by the time they got into their twenties, it would be sort of odd to have a thirty-year-old living as a pet. He probably wouldn't even be able to get adopted as a servant, he was too stubborn for that. The only other things he would ever even have a chance at being sold at were as either a fighting neko or a sex slave, neither of which were legal and Dan would ever allow for it anyway.

They got back to the apartment and for the first time since they had met Phil actually decided to stay in the room with Dan. He sat on the floor of the lounge and looked up at Dan expectantly. Dan offered him a place on the sofa but the glaring look he was met with told him all he needed to know. He went to sit on the sofa but realised it meant he would seem above Phil and that idea made him feel uncomfortable. He slowly slid himself onto the floor until he was at Phil's eye level. Phil looked surprised but didn't comment. He stayed quiet, gently fidgeting with his tail in an attempt to stop it waving. Dan cleared his throat in an effort to brake the uncomfortable silence between them. Phil rolled his eyes and scowled at Dan.

"Well are you going to ask all your stupid question or can I leave." he snapped, sitting so close to Dan clearly making him agitated. Dan paused for a minute to think. What did he want to know? He wanted to know why Phil's last owners wanted him putting down but that was a bit of a blunt question. He would broaden it then, just ask everything.

"I want you to tell me everything about you." Dan said softly, "Where you come from, your old owners, everything." Phil started to open his mouth before hesitating. You could tell he was reluctant to say anything but at the same time there was something about his hesitation that suggested he wanted to talk, he just didn't necessarily know how to.

"Come on Phil, its ok you can tell me" Dan said reassuringly. Phil sighed

"Well I'm not really sure where I came from." He started quietly, "I remember my mum, she was nice. I had a brother but he left before me, there was a few of us but they all went before me too. There was a nice lady, I can't remember her name anymore but she would always give me sweets when I wasn't supposed to have them and she looked after all of us." He looked down at the ground sadly and wiped at his eyes, "I wish I could have stayed there but my mum said I was getting too old one day and then the next this man came to pick me up and I never saw her again." Phil looked on the verge of bursting into tears, as did Dan. Sometimes he didn't get along with his family but at least he knew where they were and he could always go back to them. He had loved his mum as a child, having her taken away from him would be heart breaking. Phil stated furiously wiping away the tears that fell onto his cheeks, seemingly angry he had let them fall in the first place. He started up again, this time his tone sharper.

"The man took me home and there was another woman there. She told me to call her mum but she wasn't my mum so I called her Alex, that was her name. I lived with them for about six years and they were nice, Alex liked to pet me a lot which was annoying but she was really kind, she said I was her 'little lion' but the man, he didn't like me. Then one day they said they were having a baby and that I was going to be their friend and look after them and I was happy." Phil sniffed again, letting his voice fall a bit.

"She was called Abbi and she was really little and I liked her, even though she pulled my tail and my hair. She was fun to play with even though she couldn't even walk, she laughed at everything. I was twelve so sometimes Alex and the man would leave me to look after her for a bit. I was so happy and I was going to be a big brother and have a family but then he had to go and ruin it all." Suddenly Phil's posture changed and anger flooded his features. He let out a sob and Dan instinctively reached out a hand to comfort him but pulled back at the last minute, expecting him to lash out again. Instead however, he simply moved to bury his head into Dan's shoulder. "He killed her Dan." He sobbed, "He killed her." Dan looked down in disbelief, he opened his mouth to speak but Phil cut him off,

"Alex went out for the night to see her mum and the man left me at home with Abbi so he could go to the pub with some friends. I wasn't very happy because usually they only left me with her for about half an hour so I didn't have to feed and change her. He got angry when I said I didn't want to look after her and slammed the door shut. She was crying all night and I couldn't get her to stop. I tried changing her and feeding her but I wasn't very good at it. Eventually he came back and he was drunk. He was getting annoyed at Abbi because she wouldn't stop crying."

"He was shouting and it hurt my ears and she cried even more because it hurt her ears and I kept yelling at him to stop. Then he picked up Abbi," His voice dropped to a whisper and his tears started to soak through Dan's shirt, "He picked up Abbi and started shaking her. I yelled at him to stop because she was only small and she could get hurt but then he dropped her back into the cot and started shaking me as well and it really hurt. Finally he stopped and he went back to sleep and I went to check on Abbi but she wouldn't wake up and I couldn't get her to move. I went to wake him up and tell him to take her to the doctor but he said it was too late. He told the police I did it and they took me away. There was this room and this man with a funny haircut and Alex said I was a monster and the man with the funny hair said I was dangerous." His voice had become panicky and it was clear that recounting everything was hurting Phil,

"Then this nice woman came to see me and she said she was going to take me to the vets so I they could make sure I was all right. I thought they meant about the bruises he had given me so I went with them. I kept asking where Abbi was so I could play with her and if she had woken up yet, they hadn't told me yet. One of the nurses started crying and told me she was gone and that I did it. I tried to tell her it was him but she wouldn't listen and then she took me to a room where there was this big thing with a tube with a syringe on the end. She said it would make me go to sleep but it smelt funning in there, like how Abbi smelt after he shook her and I didn't like it. There was an open window so I ran and jumped out. I made sure they couldn't find me and I think they assumed I was dead so they stopped looking."

"I didn't have anywhere to go, Alex hated me now and I wasn't going anywhere near him so I stayed hiding in the alleys and away from people. I was happy like that but then the shelter people saw me and decided they wanted to help me. I wished they had just left me alone." Phil was crying but it was more out of frustration by the end. Dan was looking at Phil in shock. He didn't quite know if Phil was telling the truth although he couldn't image why he would make it up.

"I'm sorry Phil, I didn't know". Dan murmured quietly, still trying to get his head round the situation.

"Of course you didn't." Phil snapped, "And you won't tell anyone else." There was threat in his voice, anger that even Dan was afraid of, so he just nodded. Phil sent him a look that Dan couldn't quite place his finger on and stormed out of the room.

After that, he got a little more tolerable. He'd started eating, although only what he made or took himself. There was still that self assured thought in his head that he didn't need someone to look after him therefore he wouldn't even let anyone try. He'd also come to the conclusion that the cupboard was far to close to Dan for his liking and had now instead claimed the office sofa. This was both a blessing and a curse as although Dan was happy to know Phil was more comfortable up in the attic, it also meant he couldn't get any work done on his computer which was stored up there.

Another problem was the mess he made. Whilst he may have been sure of himself that he could cook and care for himself the truth was he wasn't the best at it. He'd been taught to toast bread and make tea by his old owners but had been living off rubbish and begging since he was twelve. So far the only thing that he had successfully done was boil an egg, although he did manage to burn himself in the process and Dan was pretty sure he hadn't even eaten it after all so it rather unsuccessful really. He was also quite opposed to showers which became a bit of a problem for Dans nose.

After about three months of living in the Howell residence Phil finally seemed to be relaxing. He still stayed away from Dan as much as possible but his clothes were starting to fit him better and the fur on his ears was shiner than before. He also seemed to have managed to dye his hair again as his auburn roots were gone. He must have added it to Dan's online shopping list whilst the human had been at work.

Dan had been reluctant to leave him at home alone at first but unfortunaly he did have a job to get too and whilst in his offices it is actually permitted to bring nekos in Dan dreaded to think what would happen if Phil was allowed to mingle with his co-workers. Phil didn't always mean to be rude, he just wasn't good with people.

Over the last few months Phil had also become a lot softer in his personality. In the few times he had spoken to Dan since the vet incident (they still needed to go the vets to get Phil's vaccinations but Dan would wait a bit longer before they tried again) he'd been a lot nicer. Somehow through everything he'd been through there was still a small part of him that was the sweet, caring person he used to be. The only problem was prising it out.

Sometimes Dan would catch him playing Pokemon or mario kart on his DS after he got back from work. Phil's face would always be lit up by this stupid goofy smile that made Dans heart melt but it never lasted too long when he was in the room. It was a vary rare occasion that Dan ever caught Phil off guard. Nekos had much better sense of hearing and smell than humans. Unless he was a sleep Phil usually knew the moment Dans car pulled up in the driveway. Of course he'd caught him playing video games but that was only usually because he got so invested in them. Usually Phil was up the stairs and into the office before Dan had reached the door.

"Phil come on, we need to go out." Phil was lurking at the top of the stairs, regarding Dan with a scrutinising look. Dan shifted on the soles of his feet uncomfortably. There was something about the nekos eyes and how there was so much behind them that made him feel awkward under his gaze. They were just so human, but Phil was not. If he'd have been human than perhaps he would have been the type of person Dan would have dated. He was handsome in an odd sort of way with his pale skin and raven hair contrasting nicely and his lanky figure giving off an air of pride.

"Where are we going?" The neko asked suspiciously.

"Only to the shops." Dan replied with an impatient sigh, "Either you'll get in the car or I'll have to drag you." Phil seemed to consider it for a moment before crossing his arms and regarding Dan with a smirk.

"I'll come with you, but you have to buy me a DS."

Dan rolled his eyes. Phil seemed to switch personalities so frequently. One moment he would be a smart, calculating adult and the next he would be childlike and demanding. Although the latter persona was far less unnerving than the first, it still tended to be annoying.

"Why can't you just use mine?" Dan groaned, this man was going to bankrupt him, "I know you use it anyway." Phil pouted and shook his head.

"But I want my own." He whined, "Yours is old."

"Alright but you have to hurry up, get your shoes on."

Phil nodded and scampered upstairs to the office. He'd been moving his stuff up there for weeks, a hint of sorts that he wanted in. Unfortunately it seemed that Dan was far to oblivious to this for the neko's liking and eventually Dan found his computer on the dining room table along with a collection of other things from his desk. It looked as though he had taken great care in placing everything down vary carefully, unfortunately his desk hadn't faired so well. It was currently lying in several pieces on the landing since Dan hadn't bothered to move it since it had fallen down the stairs. It was an accident Phil had assured him but Dan had a nagging feeling in the back of his head that it might have been a retaliation on the cheese sandwich he had made the neko eat, he didn't know Phil hated cheese, who doesn't like cheese?

They got in the car and set off. Dan had been expecting Phil to jump into the back seat and stay as far away from him as possible, instead however he got into the passenger seat and spent the trip looking eagerly out of the window. Dan was confused at first before he realised that Phil had barely left the house in the last few months and would probably appreciate a little time in the open air. They pulled up at a retail park just outside of the city centre.

Some shops and restaurants didn't allow nekos. They were seen as some people as nothing but pets and inferior. Luckily however there were a few neko friendly shops near them and plenty of places where they could go. Phil needed new clothes for a start. His old ones were either what he had picked up on the street or what the shelter gave him, neither of which sounded very appealing to wear. There would also be a little problem in the fact that most neko cloths were built for their petite figures, but Phil wasn't exactly petite.

It was odd that Phil didn't share a lot of characteristics with his own kind besides the ears and tails. It lead Dan to believe that perhaps there was a bit more human in his ancestor that there should be. Usually children never came from neko/human relationships as a lot of adult nekos wind up being sterile but occasionally it does happen. Whatever his ancestry held Dan couldn't dwell on it. Despite his dislike towards the idea Phil was still technically and legally his pet and that meant that Dan had to take care of him. It was also an odd thought that if Dan ever wound up getting himself a wife and kids, Phil would have to stay. He didn't know what would happen to the neko if Dan abandoned him and Dan couldn't have that on his conscience for the rest of his life.

Dan shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts and looked over to Phil who had already jumped out of the car. For a moment panic washed over him as he was almost certain the raven haired man was going to make a break for it but luckily he'd only gone to look at a seagull that had landed on the railings a little down the road. Dan prayed to god his cat instincts would remain under control, it would make quite a scene if he decided the bird was worth chasing. Dan let out a sigh of relief as the gull took off and landed on a nearby roof and had to stifle an aww as Phil looked over too it with a pout.

He locked the car and they headed over to the nearest shop. He had to drag Phil past the rails of clothes and signs to stop him from wandering off as he seemed almost determined to get himself lost. They got to a rail of clothes that Dan though appropriate to Phil's style (sort of) and picked out a few things in his own size. Phil was only a little shorter that Dan so they would be roughly the same size. He chucked them at Phil who caught them with a disgruntled yowl.

"Go and try those on, we'll see if they fit." He said rolling his eyes. Phil looked down at them with a frown.

"Can't I choose for myself?" He said with a huff.

"Well why don't you try them on and if you don't like anything you can go and have a look for yourself." Dan said impatiently. He knew if he let Phil choose he would end up coming home with the most random bunch of clothes ever and Phil had already proven quite costly to accommodate. He disappeared into the changing room and emerged a few minutes later in a pair of black jeans and red shirt.

"So, what do you think? Do you like it?" Dan questioned, smirking when Phil gave a begrudging nod. They carried on trying on clothes to varying success until the pile Dan had gathered was completely diminished.

Phil had picked three or four things he'd like to get and Dan decided that was enough for now. They paid for them and headed out of the shop.

"Can we go and get my DS now?" Phil asked eagerly. He was smiling quite happily but Dan realised that perhaps he wasn't used to being around so many people as he flinched everytime someone brushed against him.

There was an Argos about four shops down and Dan agreed that Phil had been less of a pain to deal with than usual and perhaps this would be a good way to keep him like this.

They ended up getting home about two hours later, Phil feeling quite happy with himself. He disappeared upstairs soon after and Dan felt himself become a little disappointed. Why he had decided to take Phil home was still something that eluded him and whilst the neko could be a pain he was growing to like the man. He was quite the introvert but it was nice to spend some time where he wasn't just left alone with just his thoughts.

After almost a year Dan and Phil had become good friends. He would spend more and more time downstairs and he spoke more. Slowly he'd started to lose the harsh demeanor that he'd adopted after what happened at his last home and became a little softer. He had quite a few similar interests to Dan and he ended up sharing most evenings huddled on opposite sides of the couch (cuddling was still an absolute no go for the neko) watching a movies or playing video games. Phil was getting increasing more annoyed every time Dan beat him at Mario kart but Dan had a sneaking suspicion that he was getting some extra practice time in whist Dan was at work.

The next thing on the agenda For Dan was to get Phil a job. In the retail park where Dan had taken Phil on his first shopping trip there had been a few posts opened up for neko workers. It was unusual for such job opportunities to come up and Dan was sure Phil could get the job. He could actually read and write very well, his grammar was better than Dan's sometimes and if he put his mind to it he could get it done. Although Phil was a little jumpy around people Dan really couldn't leave him home alone anymore and a job would be good for him. The neko was bored and unfortunately boredom and someone with far too much energy do not work well together for Dan's apartment. Only a few weeks ago Phil had practically ripped the lounge apart looking for a mouse he supposedly heard.

Nekos vary a lot in personality as well. Some lean more towards the cat side, not really talking and giving into their instincts easily. These were actually preferred as people would much rather have a pet that acted like a pet rather than one that acts like a human; they were often more playful and cuddly. Some were sort of in the middle. They speak quite a bit and can keep a conversation although they'd probably prefer to ignore it. Sometimes however they could swing either way, cat or human. Phil was on the more human side of the spectrum. He was well educated, spoke whatever he damn well pleased and was capable to a point of looking after himself. He still hissed occasionally and was a tad bit more playful than the average person but take away his tail, teeth and ears and you probably wouldn't be able to tell that he was half cat. This would probably help him get hired. It's all well and good when the employers are being inclusive but they won't hire a neko who is incapable of working.

"You want me to do what? I don't want to go." Phil had yowled at a pitch that hurt Dan ears when he tried to get the other ready for his interview. Dan had never expected a job opening to come up that was suitable and the most appropriate thing he owned to wear to a job interview was a checkered shirt and jeans. Since they'd had to buy human cloths considering Phil was so tall they'd had to cut a hole in the back for his tail which swept from side to side in annoyance.

"I don't want to have to work," he moaned in annoyance, "I'm quite happy staying here." Dan sighed in annoyance and Phil returned to sulking in the back seat of the car.

"You know this will be good for you. You're bored out of your brains at home and I don't think you've been outside in the last three months." Phil mumbled an agreement but he still didn't look happy with the current situation in the slightest. By the time they got to the shop that was hiring (a small clothes retail store) Dan had made it quite clear he expected Phil to get the job. He was probably being a little hard on the other and Dan felt a little guilty for putting his high expectations onto the neko but he needed Phil to know he was capable of at least helping pay a little for himself. Phil wasn't stupid and he certainly knew what was going on around him, maybe he couldn't even help with the rent (although Dan had a sneaking suspicion that the money he saved wouldn't be used for something as helpful as living costs).

Phil had looked very nervous when he was called in and Dan had felt a wave of guilt wash over him. Maybe it was a little soon to put Phil in such a stressful situation. He leant in to give the neko a hug and rather than pulling away like Dan was expecting he leant in and hug back. Dan watched Phil go through the door to the interview with a great big smile on his face. He could see that Phil was getting better, getting braver. He found himself looking back to when they first met. When Phil wouldn't talk, when Phil thought he was going to die.

He might have been a pain but Dan deeply regretted anytime he had wished he'd never adopted the neko because whilst he was messy, liked to complain and rather antisocial he really was Dans best friend. Maybe in the future Phil would get to a place where he wouldn't shy away from anyone and there wouldn't be the guilt that played his mind from time to time from the death of his former best friend and he wouldn't be blamed. Dan couldn't wait for that day and maybe, just maybe it wouldn't be too far away.


End file.
